The present invention relates to a method for repelling arthropods which comprise using 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-3-(4-methylpentanoyl)-2-pyrone as an active ingredient.
Background Arts
Hitherto, repellents those are directly applied to skin or clothes have been utilized for protecting humans or animals from blood-sucking of mosquitoes, flies, acarina and so on. Further, repellents those are applied to specific areas are also utilized for preventing unpleasant arthropods such as centipedes and pill bugs and insanitary insects such as cockroaches from getting indoors.
N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (hereinafter, referred to as DEET) is mainly used as a repellent for blood-sucking arthropods such as mosquitoes, stable flies and a kind of blood-sucking mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) and insanitary or unpleasant flying insects such as houseflies. As a cockroach repellent, 2-(octylthio)ethanol (MGK-R874: hereinafter, referred to as MGK874) and so on are used. However, these repellents may be effective for only small kinds of arthropods, or the effectiveness is insufficient at rapid effect or long-term effect.
On the other hand, 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-3-(4-methylpentanoyl)-2-pyrone of formula: 
is known as an acidic compound in patchouli oil [Phytochemistry, vol. 14, pp. 2712-2713 (1975)].
The present invention provides a new use of 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-3-(4-methylpentanoyl)-2-pyrone (hereinafter, referred to as Compound [A]), that is, the present invention is a method for repelling arthropods which comprises applying an effective amount of Compound [A] to a place where it is desired to repel arthropods.